‘Mine Doesn’t Handle...': Mohammed Siraj Makes Big Revelation On His Pace Struggles In Sri Lanka

Mohammed Siraj has opened up about his struggles during India’s recent Test series in Sri Lanka, saying a long break from competitive cricket affected his rhythm and pace.

Siraj returned to action in the Duleep Trophy final after the Sri Lanka series. However, he did not look at his best initially and found it difficult to get his usual pace and rhythm back at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The fast bowler conceded 140 runs in 25 overs in the first innings after East Zone opted to bat. But he came back strongly in the second innings, bowling with much better control and pace. He finished with figures of 1/47 from 16 overs as East Zone defeated South Zone on the basis of their first-innings lead to win the Duleep Trophy title.

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Siraj Says Long Break Affected His Rhythm

Siraj believes the biggest reason behind his struggles was the unusually long gap he had before the Sri Lanka series.

“I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I can’t explode through the crease. That was the struggle in Sri Lanka – my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace,” Siraj was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.

The 32-year-old also admitted that taking two months away from competitive cricket was something he had never experienced in his career.

“Every bowler’s body is different, but mine doesn’t handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off. I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward,” he said.

Chennai Heat Added To The Challenge

Siraj also had to deal with difficult conditions after returning from Sri Lanka. India had spent three-and-a-half days on the field during the second Test before the pacer travelled to Chennai for the Duleep Trophy final.

“We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three-and-a-half days fielding in the second Test, and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai’s sweltering heat,” Siraj said.

Despite the physical demands, Siraj said he did not want to use them as an excuse. He stressed that playing for India comes with a responsibility to give everything on the field.

“But for me, it comes down to passion. When you’re representing your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give every bit of your effort for your team and nation. Even if I didn’t get the wickets to show for it today, that hard work will pay off at the international level,” he added.

‘The Old Siraj Was Back’ In Second Innings

Siraj also explained what changed in his bowling during the second innings.

Instead of trying too hard to bowl faster, he decided to focus on his natural rhythm. The change helped him find better control and consistency almost immediately.

“In the first innings, the pitch looked fresh, so I tried to bowl too fast. Because I was forcing it, my rhythm was off,” he said. “In the second innings, I told myself to forget the outcome and just run in with good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back, and the ball started coming out beautifully.”